By Focus | 2025-10-23

Australia has lodged a formal protest with Beijing after a Chinese fighter jet released flares dangerously close to a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) patrol aircraft during a routine surveillance mission over the South China Sea.

Canberra described the October 19 encounter as "unsafe and unprofessional."

The confrontation occurred near the disputed Paracel Islands, when a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Su-35 approached an RAAF P-8A Poseidon conducting maritime patrols in international airspace.

China calls the archipelago the Xisha Islands. Vietnam and Taiwan claim the Paracels as well.

Endangering the RAAF crew

According to Australia's Department of Defense, the Chinese jet fired flares in "close proximity" to the Australian aircraft, putting the crew at risk.

"This was an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver," the department said in a statement on October 20. "Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner."

Canberra reported no injuries or damage, but Defense Minister Richard Marles said the PLA crew discharged two flares at a perilously short distance. "It's really that ... which has given us cause to deem this unsafe and unprofessional," he told Sky News Australia.

Although the P-8's crew skillfully avoided harm, "inherent in that is that it could have been a different outcome," said Marles.

Australia was deliberately publicizing the PLA's bad behavior, said Marles. "From our point of view, what's really important is that there are very clear communications, and very clear behaviors."

Australia will continue lawful operations, said Marles: "We will continue to operate our defense force in a manner which asserts the rules-based order in the South China Sea and in international waters and in international airspace."

Chinese accusations

China's Southern Theater Command Air Force accused Australia of violating its sovereignty, claiming the Australian aircraft had "intruded" into airspace over the disputed archipelago.

"Australia's actions constitute a grave violation of China's sovereignty and pose a high risk of triggering maritime and aerial incidents," the command said in a statement October 20.

China will "continue to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said October 22.

The flare release became the latest in a series of Sino-Australian aerial confrontations in and above contested waters.

In February, Australia criticized as "unsafe and unprofessional" another Chinese flare release near a Poseidon patrol plane; in 2022, a PLA J-16 released chaff that an Australian P-8's engine ingested.

US-Australian cooperation on rare earths

The episode near the Paracels came as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held talks on security with US President Donald Trump in Washington on October 20–21. The two leaders discussed the AUKUS partnership and announced an agreement to expand US access to Australian critical minerals and rare earths.

"We always oppose creating bloc confrontation, increasing nuclear proliferation risks and intensifying an arms race," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on October 21 in response to the talks over AUKUS.

The partnership is supposed to help Australia obtain nuclear-powered submarines.

Australian operations uphold international law and long-standing practice, Canberra said.

"For decades, the [Australian Defense Force] has undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law," the Australian Department of Defense statement added.